Call-sign hitch may delay Kingfisher's global dream

New Delhi: Yet another hitch is cropping up in the way of Kingfisher’s international dreams. While UB Group chief Vijay Mallya wants to fly on the global routes using Kingfisher’s call sign, civil aviation ministry officials feel that international operations of the airline can use only the Air Deccan call sign.
Mr Mallya took over Air Deccan last year and the low-cost carrier is being merged with Kingfisher. While Deccan is completing five years of service in the domestic market making it eligible to fly overseas, Kingfisher does not fulfil the eligibility criteria now.
“We had allowed Kingfisher to operate two call signs in the domestic market, anticipating that the two would merge immediately and have a common ticketing and marketing platform. But we can’t allow them to fly international on Kingfisher’s call sign as the operating permit is in the name of Deccan Aviation,” a ministry official said. He, however, said that the ministry had no objection in Deccan flying on international routes under the Kingfisher brand.
UB Group recently sought government permission to operate two brands and hence two call signs given by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and International Air Transport Association (IATA).
27/08/08 Nirbhay Kumar & Chanchal Pal Chauhan/Economic Times

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Categories: Deccan Aug 2008, Foreign Aug 2008, Kingfisher Aug 2008